Traditional Aboriginal music and dance played to the community's newest members at a welcoming ceremony to help refugees transition to life in Brisbane on Wednesday.

The Brisbane City Council initiative, which has run for the last eight years, provides refugees new to Brisbane access-all-areas when it comes to the basic services on offer in our city.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk says the ceremony is an important event for Council and service providers in a city that welcomes over 2000 people from refugee backgrounds each year.

"A lot of these people have come from places of oppression, where they've had run-ins with police force and the army's and it's about making sure they understand that here the police are here to help them.

"But equally they have a responsibility too to understand the way in which we live, the laws we abide by," Cnr Quirk said.

Multicultural Affairs Minister Glen Elmes said the event should help newly settled refugees transition into daily life in Queensland.

"They don't even know how to hail a bus, let alone where to find the bus stops. This is about providing those really basic services and most importantly where to go to get the information they need.

According to data from Department of Immigration and Citizenship Brisbane's refugee population most commonly come from Iran, Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Pakistan, Burma and Ethiopia.

The Council says the event is held annually to demonstrate Brisbane City Council's support for refugees and to promote Brisbane as an inclusive city.

Refugees who attended the ceremony said it provided opportunities to network with fellow refugees who shared the day to day challenges that come with not understanding a language.

Nazila sought refugee status in Australia with her sister after fleeing from Iran over two years ago.

"[There was] problems in my country," she said, "I think there is a special Iranian woman's freedom here."

"Last year was very hard for me, but this year [has been] very good for me," Nazila said.

Arash came to Australia from Iran around the same time as Nazila.

"When I came to Australia I didn't know about the culture at all. Now i am happy, I find it is a multicultural country," he said.

Each refugee's story is different but all agree that relocating to a new country brings a unique set of struggles.

Selastine formerly of Ghana has called Brisbane home for the past 12 months.

"I've been here one year. It's a different country," she said, "and to start all over again is not easy."

"I left high school in 1976, it's a long time, so to come here...it's the technology.

"I think step by step, I'll get there," Selastine said.

Brisbane City Council has a number of resources for people new to Brisbane on their website.